Minnesota Counties and Historical Facts

Minnesota Counties records differ vastly from county to county in either quality as well as quantity. Some happen to have been carefully preserved while others have been much neglected and mistreated. Some Minnesota records have simply disappeared. For genealogists carrying out research in Minnesota you will find no effective replace to have an on-site research of county court house records. For Definitions of all court terms see the Genealogy Encyclopedia

Minnesota Counties – There are 87 counties that exist in Minnesota. Each one holds records that may include: Land, Estates, Taxes, Vital Records, Divorces, Naturalizations, Voter Registration, Court Records. Other records may also be included. However, other resources do need to be consulted.

On October 27, 1849 nine counties were established. Among them were Benton, Dahkotah, Itasca, Ramsey, Mahkahta, Pembina, Wabasha, Washington, and Wahnata. Of these Benton, Dakota, Itasca, Ramsey, Wabasha, and Washington still exist as their original names. With the foundation of Kittson County on March 9, 1878, Pembina County no longer existed. When Minnesota was organized as a state, 57 of the present 87 counties were established. The last county to be created was Lake of the Woods County in 1923.

The names of many of the counties pay tribute to the long history of exploration. Over ten counties names pay tribute to the state’s various Native American groups that are resident in parts of what is now Minnesota. Another fifteen counties are named after physical geographic features, with the remainder being named after politicians.

Minnesota is divided into 87 counties. There are several offices that are responsible for recording various types of county records for Minnesota’s counties. The county recorder is responsible for land records, while the court administrator’s office is responsible for vital records, including death, birth and marriage records. Probate files are found at the probate judge’s office and the court administrator’s office holds records from civil and criminal court cases. Note that death, birth and marriage records may not be entirely complete. Mortgage, deed and grantor-grantee indexes are also available, but the starting year doesn’t necessarily include all the information from that year. Wills and probate files are among the earliest probate records that were recorded. Early criminal files may have been filed as part of civil court files, instead. See also a list of links to county and county seat government run websites.

List of Minnesota Extinct Counties

Map of Minnesota Counties

Minnesota contains counties that no longer exist. They were recognized by the state, provincial, or territorial governing administration. Many of these counties were established and disbanded in the 19th century; county boundaries have altered very little since 1900 in the vast most of states. These counties need to be looked at when you are performing family history and genealogy research. Pay close attention where the courthouse records went to if the county was eliminated or merged with a different county.

Andy Johnson County: See Toombs County below. Toombs County was renamed Andy Johnson County after President Andrew Johnson and to disassociate with Mr. Toombs. The county again changed its name to Wilkin County in March 6, 1868.

Big Sioux County: Created in December, 1857 from Brown County. County was disbanded in 1859 and land became part of North Dakota

Breckenridge County: Created on March 18, 1858. Iit was named for John C. Breckenridge, Vice President of the United States from 1857-1861. After the Civil War started, Breckenridge joined the army of the south. Pressure by Minnesota residents resulted in the State Legislature of Minnesota passing a bill on March 6, 1862, rescinding the name of Breckenridge. The county was then renamed Clay County for Henry Clay (1777-1852). Clay was known as a statesman and orator, and called “The Great Pacificator”.

Buchanan County: Created on May 23, 1857. It comprised the 24 northern townships, now forming the northern half of Pine County, Minnesota. The Buchanan County seat was Sandstone. The county disbanded and merged into Pine County in 1861. Brown County was attached to Chisago and St. Louis Counties for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.

Davis County: Created in 1855 from Cass, Nicollet, Pierce and Sibley Counties. In 1862 the county was disbanded and what was left was merged into Chippewa and Lac qui Parle Counties. Davis County was attached to Stearns and Lac qui Parle Counties for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.

Doty County: Created on February 20, 1855 from Itasca County. The name changed to Newton County on March 3, 1855.

Lac Qui Parle (old) County: Created in 1862 from Davis and Pierce Counties. In 1868 the county was disbanded and merged into Stevens and Chippewa Counties. Lac Qui Parle County was attached to Renville County for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.

Lincoln (old) County: Created in 1861 from Renville County. In 1868 the county was disbanded and merged back into Renville County. Lincoln County was attached to McLeod County for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.

Mahkahto County: Created on October 27, 1849 from Unorganized Territory. The county was disbanded in 1851 and the land became part of Pembina and Cass Counties. Mahkahto County was attached to Ramsey County for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.

Manomin County: Created on May 23, 1857 when it was split from Ramsey County. The name Manomin is a variant spelling of manoomin, the Ojibwe word for wild rice, a staple of their diet. The county seat was Manomin (present-day Fridley).The land shifted hands among three other counties for the next decade. When it was formed, it was the smallest county in the United States at roughly 18 square miles. It was deorganized in 1858 and administratively attached to St. Louis, Minnesota. Two years later in 1860 it was attached to Anoka County. At the time, the area’s population was 136. In 1863, it was attached to Hennepin County, but it was finally merged into Anoka County and eliminated in 1869.

Monongalia County: Monongalia County is a former county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was identified in 1858, although the Dakota War of 1862 delayed its organization until 1861. The county seat was at New London.In 1870 the state legislature ordered it merged with Kandiyohi County, its southern neighbor. Neither county had been able up till then to raise enough money to build a courthouse. In February of 1871, they finally agreed to make Willmar the new county seat.

Newton County: Doty County was renamed Newton County on March 3, 1855. On March 1, 1856, St. Louis County to the east became Lake County while Newton County was renamed St. Louis County.

Pembina County: Created on October 27, 1849 from Unorganized Territory. County was organized in 1852 then deorganized in 1853. Name was changed to Kittson County in 1878. At some point Pembina County was attached to Morrison, Crow Wing, Douglas, Becker and Clay Counties for county and or judicial purposes. Some early records may be found there.

Pierce County: ?

St. Croix County: ?

St. Louis (old) County: ?

Superior County: ?

Toombs County: Created on March 8, 1858, named after Robert Toombs (1810-85) of Georgia, who had been a member of Congress, 1845-53, and was U.S. senator, 1853-61. Mr. Toombs became a leading disunionist, then a Confederate secretary of state in 1861, and later was a Confederate general. In 1863, the county was renamed Andy Johnson County (see above). Toombs County was formed from Pembina County. It is the parental county for Traverse County, and now are parts of Clay, Otter Tail, Grant, Stevens, Douglas and Pope Counties.

Wahnata County: ?

List of Minnesota Counties with Burned Courthouses

The destruction to Minnesota courthouses tremendously has a affect on genealogists in just about every way. Not only are these types of historic structures torn from our lifetimes, so are the files they kept: marriage, wills, probate, land records, as well as others. Once destroyed they’re gone permanently. Despite the fact that they have been put on mircofilm, computers and film burn as well. The most sad aspect of this is the reason why virtually all of our courthouses are destroyed from arsonist. However, you cannot assume all records were destroyed. A number of Minnesota counties have dealt with a loss of records due to courthouse fires, floods, and theft.

Big Stone County Courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1885.

Hubbard County Courthouse was partially destroyed by fire a few years after 1889. No records were destroyed

Kanabec County Courthouse was destroyed by fire. Some records were destroyed in March 1894.

Lake County Courthouse burned to the ground in 1904. most county records were rescued.

Pine County Courthouse burned in 1870. most all records were destroyed. The 1886 frame courthouse was struck by lightning and burned in 1952. Records were saved.

Red Lake County Courthouse (the original wooden courthouse) burned to the ground in April 1909. No records were destroyed

St. Louis County Courthouse had a Record loss in 1869-70 due to unkown cause

Sibley County’s first courthouse, built in the then county seat of Henderson, burned in 1863 along with all of the early county records.

Waseca County Courthouse burned in 1865 in the village of Wilton, the county seat in 1857.

Watonwan County Courthouse burned before 1895. Some records were destroyed.

Wilkin County Courthouse burned in 1883 destroying most early records. The courthouse burned again in 1924 with no record loss.